Wait, wasn't Williams around when Chairman Reinsdorf quit on the 1997 season with the "White Flag'' trade as part of rebuilding? Ask your manager, Kenny.

But Santos? A closer? Nope. Closers are all over the place. The Sox, for instance, found their newly traded closer at shortstop. They previously found another off waivers. They found another in Japan.

Closers are important, sure, but they’re not aces. They’re not top-of-the-rotation guys.

Look, the Cubs would love to trade their closer. Carlos Marmol is a slider pitcher coming off a bad year and likely headed for arm trouble. Tom Ricketts would approve dealing Marmol for urinal fixtures.

You continue going through closers until someone sticks. And actually, trading Santos for a Double-A starter who strikes people out is a good deal if you claimed to be competing this season.

The Sox could re-sign Mark Buehrle, pay someone to take Alex Rios, and pray for Adam Dunn to get back to being Adam Dunn, and you’re suddenly going for it.

I’m glad Williams came clean and tried to be honest, actually saying “rebuilding.’’ But he’s new at this rebuilding stuff. He always has gone for it. He has no idea what rebuilding looks like. He has no idea how to frame it. It’s as if he worked for the Cubs.